Critical 'Ankara' decision from Gelecek and Saadet! Will they support Mansur Yavaş?

As the local elections approach, political parties continue to announce their mayoral candidates.

The Future Party and the Felicity Party, which formed a joint parliamentary group after the May 14 elections, announced that they will field 4 joint candidates in the March 31, 2024, local elections.

While Gelecek and Saadet have decided to support the CHP's candidate, incumbent mayor Mansur Yavaş, in Ankara—one of the most closely watched cities in these critical elections—they will support candidates from the CHP, DEVA, IYI Party, Democrat Party, and AKP in 5 other provinces.

The joint candidate list of Saadet and Gelecek is as follows:

• Konya: Abdulkadir Karaduman (Felicity Party)
• Hatay: Necmettin Çalışkan (Felicity Party)
• Denizli: Sema Silkin Ün (Future Party) 
• Tekirdağ: Ahmet Akçay (Future Party)

In a statement issued by the Future Party, it was reported that "The common motto of all members of the Future Party, starting with our Chairman, is 'First the nation, then the party, then myself,'" and that candidates from DEVA, the IYI Party, the Democrat Party, and the AKP would be supported in 5 provinces.

The candidates of other parties that the Felicity Party and the Future Party will support are as follows:

• Düzce: Murat Caymaz (DEVA)
• Tokat: Şeref Menteşe (IYI Party)
• Kilis: Yasin Topaloğlu (IYI Party)
• Ordu: Serhat Çelebioğlu (Democrat Party)
• Mardin: Abdullah Erin (AKP)
• "Mansur Yavaş, who manages the municipality with an understanding of serving the public rather than contractors..."

The statement further added, "We have decided to support the Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate, Mr. Mansur Yavaş, whose dedicated, sincere, and transparent management we have witnessed for 5 years, who manages the municipality with an understanding of serving the public rather than contractors, and whose services to our capital are loudly voiced by our fellow citizens in Ankara. Our Deputy Chairman, Mr. Feramuz Üstün, has been tasked with coordinating the support our party will provide to Mr. Mansur Yavaş during the election campaign. May all our candidates be auspicious for our nation and our party."

News Source: 12punto